From the first moment it hit television screens, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City has been one of the most dramatic shows of the popular franchise. So far, cameras have captured Jen Shah’s wild on-screen arrest and subsequent prison sentence, cast member Monica Garcia has been exposed as a secret online troll and Heather Gay has been shown a mysterious black eye after a physical fight.
The current season, its seventh, is no less tumultuous as it sees Mary Crosby grapple with inexplicable grief following the untimely death of her 23-year-old son Robert Jr. as well as the breakdown of two marriages.
“There’s always been this weird vibe in Utah that no one really knew about and then we always capture the craziest, most wild real-life moments,” Salt Lake City housewife Whitney Rose says in this exclusive interview. hello!. “I feel like we open up our hearts and souls, we give it our all and we are a dynamic artist and group of friends.”
And it’s those friends who helped Whitney, 40, end her nearly 17-year marriage to husband Justin, with whom she has daughter Bobby, 16, and son Brooks, 13.
© Griffin Nagel/BravoSpeaking to Us just before it was revealed she’d filed for divorce, she admitted it was a “difficult decision” to address these issues on the show.
“At the beginning of the season, knowing what I was going through with my marriage, I didn’t know if I wanted to do it or not,” she says. “I have kids at home and I wasn’t sure how it was going to affect them. But I decided I’m strong and I’ve shared a lot about my life on this show, so I’ll talk about it — but it was scary and it was hard.”
join together
What helped him to overcome this? “I’m focusing on my health, making sure my body and mind are healthy and being really dedicated to my family,” she says.
The split from Justin also strengthened her friendships with Braunwyn Newport and Angie Katsevas, who are also approaching the end of their marriages. She adds, “The fact that we’re all going through this together has connected us to each other and we’re able to support each other because it’s one thing to go through a separation or divorce but it’s another thing to do it on camera.” “The three of us know exactly what that feels like, and we can rely on each other and help protect each other.”
© Alice King/BravoThey have also come together to support their classmate, Pentecostal pastor Mary Crosby, whose son died after an alleged overdose in February; His battle with addiction was featured in previous episodes of the show. Filming of the show was halted for a week following her death and Mary was praised for her grace and dignity on screen after her death.
“I think in the beginning, we put our differences aside and just supported and grieved together,” says Whitney. “When someone passes, there’s a lot of love and support initially and I think it’s important for us to keep reaching out and checking in on them.
“Mary is so strong and inspiring and she’s really changed the way I look at strength, faith and a higher power because watching her has been inspiring. I’ve never seen anyone go through grief like that. She’s really very strong and she leads with love. In fact, when I message her to check in, she checks in on me. Her strength is empowering and I think it has a lot to do with her faith.”
best kept secret
The city’s unique blend of religious influence – which is the worldwide headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, aka the Mormon Church – and the women’s luxurious lifestyle make it a unique watch.
“I’ve always said that Salt Lake City is the best-kept secret,” says Whitney. “Our culture is very unique with the influence of the LDS Church, and then we have the beautiful landscape of the mountains. We have a little bit of everything – our personalities blend perfectly because we all worship each other but then we all can’t stand each other.
“The dynamics are always changing but even if we don’t like each other at the moment, we still love each other.”
For now, as she approaches the end of her marriage, Whitney – who runs skincare range Wild Rose Beauty – is looking forward to this next chapter. She muses, “I still have a lot of decisions to make, a lot of changes, but I’m excited.” “This next year is going to be a big year for me and my business and transitioning into a new life. I’ve been married my whole life, so we’ll see what happens.”
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is now streaming on hayu.com